Rainbow Day Nursery (Harlow) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children with genuine warmth and kindness. The nursery is child friendly and welcoming as the attentive staff ensure the environment captures children's interest. Children demonstrate they are enthusiastic and eager to learn and settle quickly. They leave their parents with ease and become engrossed in activities offered. Staff provide a curriculum that is planned around the children's developing needs and interests. They follow the children's lead and plan in the moment to fully support what captures children's attention. Staff speak respectfully to the children, for example, they gently ask them if they if they may change their nappy or wipe their nose. They have high expectations for the children and children's behaviour is good.

Children are supported to learn the skills required to be independent, for the transition to school and successful future learning. Older children are positively encouraged to take care of their own personal needs, fully supported by staff who are close by. Younger children also make good attempts of getting ready for outdoor play. Staff are skilful in their interactions with children and provide running commentaries during play. Children's speech and language development are good, and they demonstrate that they are confident speakers. Children enjoy their time in the garden. They exercise and have fresh air as they play with their friends. Children cooperate in groups, listen to instructions and are keen to help as they set up new games, such as a badminton net. They delight in using the bats and learn new words, such as 'shuttlecock'.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Children benefit from a varied curriculum that is based around what they need to learn next. They make good progress while at nursery. All areas of learning are promoted well. However, there is a particularly strong focus on supporting children's speech and language and emotional needs and personal skills.
• The manager understands the importance of supporting the staff in their own professional development. Staff are aware of the importance training has, to improve outcomes for children and welcome training opportunities. The manager is hands on and routinely monitors her staff's practice, spending time in the rooms. Staff also receive regular supervision meetings and informal daily chats. They are a close team and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The staff comment they feel valued as their well-being is considered.
• The nursery is fully inclusive, and activities are planned to ensure all children can participate. The special educational needs coordinator is knowledgeable about her role. She effectively engages with parents and other agencies involved with the children to ensure all children receive the support they need to make good progress.
• Effective partnerships with parents are established. Parents speak highly about their child's time at nursery. Many comment on the helpful, friendly, and approachable staff. Parents say the staff invest time in getting to know their children well. They comment they have 'every confidence' in the staff and leave their children reassured they are in safe hands. Parents comment that communication is good and they are fully informed regarding their child's day.
• Children have formed trusting bonds with their key person and the whole staff team. They demonstrate they feel safe and secure and appear very happy. They are aware of the high expectations for their behaviour. They use good manners at snack and lunchtime without prompting and are very settled.
• The quality of teaching and staff's interactions are good. The curriculum is planned around all areas of learning and based on children's interests. However, the curriculum is not consistently challenging and, sometimes, staff do not help children to build on what they already know and extend their knowledge to an even higher level.
• Children have opportunities to use their imagination in the role play. They can access a variety of quality materials to support mark making and early writing skills. Babies make patterns in water they spill, and this is encouraged and praised. However, often creative activities are led by staff and children are offered printed sheets or have pictures drawn for them rather than be encouraged to have a go for themselves.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more opportunities within the curriculum to challenge children's thinking, so that it consistently builds on what they already know and can do
• support staff to provide opportunities for children to explore and express their creativity and imagination, and celebrate their artistic achievements.